Missions
by sjsjtd2007
Summary: The parallel nations take their missions one step at a time. Though, sometimes you fall down those steps.
1. Mission 1: Parkour

_**A/N: Hey, there. This is, hopefully, going to continue for a while. I'm excited about this, and I might toss some old ideas in as well.**_

 _ **This is, as the genre says, a suspense/comedy. I'm adding some shipping… this is basically just a fun, action filled story I've been dying to get to, and now that I have time, I can do it.**_

 _ **I won't be taking it too seriously, but it's good practice for me since I'm in a bit of a funk. I hope you enjoy!**_

Allen let out a shriek. It was loud, piercing, and full of rage. His face was turning so many shades of red that it matched his eyes.

"What in the blazes is your malfunction, child," Oliver snapped, walking into the kitchen where he and Matt were standing. "Oh, good _lord_ , are you two fighting again?"

"Don't worry," Matt said, a calm yet amused look on his face. "He'll calm down soon enough."

"Fuck you! Fuck you!" No knowing how else to approach this, he sputtered and shouted, "Fuck you!" again.

"Language, Allen."

"Oliver," Allen whined, turning to his former caretaker for help.

"Whatever happened, I'm sure you started it," Oliver said before he had a chance to spill the story.

"He fed me a fucking weed brownie!"

The room went silent for a moment. Allen had his hands out in a 'please back me up' gesture.

"I thought you'd be more pissed about the eggs," Matt said.

Allen whipped around, eyes wide with terror. "The…?" He threw his hands over his mouth. "I'm- I'm gonna puke!"

Matt sighed. "You're the one that ate them before I had a chance to tell you. It's your own fa-"

"Oliver-" He pointed at him. "Said he made vegan brownies! I thought that those were…!"

Oliver quietly parted between him and retrieved a small bag from the cupboard. "You're... going to need these." He handed the bag to Allen, straight faced.

Matt gave a small chuckle. "Yeah, man. If ya want, I'll make more of mine without eggs."

"You asshole! You know I don't do that!" He took the bag from Oliver and set it aside before burying his face in his hands. "Oh, my god. This is fucked. I'm fucked. Luciano is going to fucking kill me."

"Why this time?"

Everyone turned to see Francois sitting at the counter/bar, looking horribly exhausted. Though, his outfit was on point. It was his military uniform, as Luciano had requested.

"Mattie fed Allen pot."

"He's acting like I gave him cocaine. _Sheesh_."

Oliver gave him a quick look.

"I'd never," he said, holding his hands up. "That's not my cup of tea."

He nodded and turned back to Allen, who was still freaking out. "Love, it's only a small mission. Go get dressed before it hits."

Allen started to protest.

"He's right," Francois said, checking his cigarette count. "Luciano doesn't like us being late more than he won't like that you're stoned." He put the pack in his pocket and flicked his lighter, making sure it worked. "How many did you have?"

"…Three."

Francois glanced up at him and pressed his lips together tightly. "G…get dressed."

Allen wasn't finished protesting. "I'm gonna die! I've never smoked the shit, let alone ate it!"

Oliver coughed.

The look Allen gave him could have cut steel. "You motherfucker."

"You were a very fussy child," he said, not even apologetic. "Sometimes-"

"I don't wanna hear it." Allen stormed into his room to get changed, fuming and grumbling.

Matt smirked. "He's fucked."

"Swear jar." Oliver turned to Matt. "Wait…" He looked in the tray where the drugged brownies were. "Why are there more than three missing? Are you…?"

Matt started for his room. "I do it all of the time. No one notices."

When they were both gone, Oliver fidgeted. "This is going to be an awfully long day, isn't it, dear?"

Francois put his face in his hands and let out a small laugh. "I'm looking forward to this."

About twenty minutes passed and Matt, Oliver, and Francois were standing at the door, impatient. Matt finally volunteered to retrieve his brother after he noticed Francois impatiently checking his watch.

When he got to Allen's room, he was in most of his uniform, minus the jacket. He was holding it, but his gaze was so far into space that he was surely in another dimension.

Matt bit his lip, smiling. "You okay, man?"

"Huh?"

"We need to go."

Allen stood silent for a few seconds.

Matt rolled his eyes and took him by the arm, leading him out. "C'mon, rookie."

He stumbled after his brother, his daze getting more and more noticeable. He felt like he was swimming through air, and his brain felt fuzzy like the static that comes off of those old box televisions.

Oliver was right. It was going to be a long day, indeed.

—-

"This is a standard mission," Luciano barked to the others. He stood at the front, his posture perfect, hands folded behind him to keep from flailing around in Italian gestures. His face was stone cold. "There's a facility in the outskirts of Castelmezzano. Last month, Lutz and I did a perimeter check. It's very isolated and heavily guarded." He nodded to Lutz, who immediately got to his feet and pulled some large papers from a box. "We found a few areas that weren't so impenetrable." Lutz opened one room of paper to reveal a hand drawn map, no doubt made by Luciano.

"Um… Why?"

All eyes were on Flavio, who had no problems sassing his brother.

Luciano was very obviously and immediately annoyed. "It's nothing my-" He squinted. "Our government knows about. If you would pay more attention-"

Flavio rolled his eyes and muttered, "Here we go."

Luciano let out a huff of anger. "It's not on legal grounds. There are suspicions of very inhumane activities happening here. I was sent to gather information, and I trust in you all that you'll get the fucking job done."

Matt made glanced at Allen, who was staring intensely at Luciano, focusing every ounce of attention he had to understand what he was telling them. He looked back up at the Italian. "What do you need us to do, man?"

Luciano turned away from Flavio, his face softening slightly. He had a lot of obvious respect for Matt. "You're all assigned jobs that your qualifications meet."

"Oh, Luci, with the formalities," Lutz chuckled and bumped him.

He rolled his eyes and took a paper from Lutz. He scanned it, making sure everything was written properly. "Francois, Matt, you're both to keep up with the perimeter. You'll be the ones to notify us of any trouble or to come to help anyone who gets into trouble."

Matt and Francois nodded.

"Trouble," Allen asked, his voice sounding very foreign to himself, almost startling him.

Luciano raised a brow. "It's nothing we can't handle, but I don't expect it." He looked back at the paper, making a face. "Oliver, Flavio," the names sounded slightly poisonous. "You two are on call. You're bother to keep reports, make sure everyone is where they should be, and to contact everyone else at the base if things go wrong and Francois and Matt are both preoccupied. Understood?" His eyes flicked up at them, Flavio was already giving Oliver the 'Yay! We work together!' look.

"Sure," Flavio said absently.

"If you two slack off or miss an opportunity," he said very coldly. "You could be responsible for a life."

Flavio and Oliver glanced at each other.

"Do I make myself clear?"

"I said sure," Flavio huffed, crossing his arms.

Before he could let his anger out, Lutz took his shoulder and said, "This isn't supposed to be an awfully difficult mission, but with what we know, these humans have guns. and I'm pretty sure I heard dogs."

The two sat silent for a moment, then nodded.

Luciano took his attention from them and focused on Allen. "You come with Lutz and me."

"Me?"

He rolled his eyes. "You and your brother are known for hopping buildings and climbing a lot."

"Parkour?"

"Bless you," He gave Lutz the paper. "The entry point is difficult to navigate. I'm not the best at it and Lutz is… Well, heavy."

The German flexed and winked.

"For fuck's sake." He marked a few points on the map, explained to the first two groups that that would be their base point, and handed them maps of their own. He also handed out walkie talkies, and explained their numbers. Oliver and Flavio had number two, Matt had three, and Francois had four. "Our's will be number five."

"Five? What happened to one?" Oliver tilted his head.

"That's basecamp. Viktor has that one." He Turned his on and clicked a button. "Viktor, check in to all sections."

A moment passed. The walkie in Oliver's hand bliped. A long, static filled sigh came through. " _Two. Say something._ "

Oliver hit the talk button. "Hello!"

Matt's was next, then Francois. Last was Luciano's. " _Happy now?_ "

"He's never happy," Lutz said. Luciano glared at him.

A laugh came through the speaker and was cut off, making the phones silent.

"Don't fuck around with these. This is a mostly stealth mission, only used for emergencies." He set his glare on Oliver. "Don't be stupid."

"Roger!" Oliver smiled cheerfully.

"Remember, don't get split up, and don't goof off. Take ten, and we will be out."

Everyone nodded simultaneously. Allen nodded a little too much.

Matt clasped his hand on his shoulder.

"I'm going to fucking die."

—-

 _Composure, Allen. Just act natural. Don't let this get to you. You parkour all of the time. Why should this be different? You almost fell of of a twenty story building, and you laughed! That was great!… But Luciano is here. He's here. Oh, no. Luciano is gonna kill me. He already hates your guts… probably because you're American. But how can i help that? You're psyching yourself out. Oh no. Oh… No… Don't puke. You'll be fine. You fought LUTZ before. And WON. Big, scary… Oh, who am I kidding. He's a fucking teddy bear._

Allen kept trying to calm himself down… with no avail.

They were slowly approaching a fenced in area. How did a place like this go overlooked by… anyone? It was a mess. Though, the world they lived in was no better than an apocalypse film. Constant fighting, famine, pestilence, death… Basically the four horsemen of the apocalypse having a party. Sure, the light world wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, but at least it was more…civilized. Allen wished they had things like Tumblr here, because if Alfred thought his version was bad, Allen was sure this one would be worse. On second thought, maybe that wasn't a good idea.

Luciano was climbing the fence… and struggling and he got to the top. Lutz practically jumped it like it was nothing.

"Here goes nothing." Allen couldn't fuck up. He swallowed hard and started climbing. He felt like he was crawling he was going so slow. He carefully straddled the barbed wire and let himself drop to the other side and rolled to break his fall.

"Nice," Lutz said and patted his back when he got up.

"That took forever," Allen said, half groaning.

Luciano raised a brow. "If ten seconds is forever to you, I want to know what ten minutes is." He started walking into the woods, obviously going to a specific direction.

Allen blinked. "Seconds…?"

Lutz smirked. "First time stoned?"

He nearly screamed again and fell backwards, stumbling in fear.

"I won't tell." He winked and slung an arm around his shoulders, walking with him. "You'll do fine. Just don't think too much about it and let autopilot take over."

Allen bit his lip, nervous. "What if I fail?"

"Then Luciano will throw a fit." He shrugged. "But you've got me with you."

Allen started off, watching as Luciano weaved through the wooded area, quietly and gracefully. "Thanks, Lutz."

"Just remember, stay focused on the goal, not the task. And don't stop moving."

"What if I stop moving?"

"You might stare into space like an idiot and forget what you were doing." He patted his arm. "I'm not a fan of the stuff, but I know what it's like."

"Neither am I…"

He made a face. "Did Oliver…?"

"No." He sighed and stared off again. Forgetting to elaborate on that. Lutz waited, then realized he was long gone, and probably wouldn't remember what they were talking about if he tried to ask. He decided it would be better to ask later.

They found a small clearing with a small building. Looking passed it, more were lining after it and around. In the far back, they could barely make out what looked like a prison or an insane asylum.

"Whoa…"

"We need to go through some buildings to get to the factory." Luciano yanked the door open to the first one. It was bland and white, and looked awfully run down. The smell of must ran through it, making it feel void of anything, even spirits.

Luciano continued to lead the way, making it up some stairs, through a few rooms, and out onto a fire escape. The whole building was run down, chairs tossed aside, parts of the floor caved through, and holes in the ceiling. He leaped onto the roof of the building beside it, and crossed it, not bothering to wait for the other two.

"Luci and I mapped this part of the place out. We explored a lot of the surrounding buildings and areas, but this seemed like the safest route." Lutz spoke as he causally helped Allen cross any large gaps and made his way to trail closer behind Luciano. "There were a lot of guards, and there's a section that way," he pointed east. "That's entirely flooded. Judging by the water, we can safely assume we may cross more."

Luciano climbed down a ladder on the side of the building and leaped across the gap between the buildings to a hole in the side of the wall. Lutz followed and Allen went last. Before Allen was able to cross, the floor gave out under Luciano's feet. He let out a cry and grabbed the remaining boards, catching himself.

"Luci!" Allen froze on the ladder.

Lutz quickly got to him and pulled him from the floor. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine," he huffed, brushing himself off. "Stupid floor."

Lutz inspected the damage as Allen finally got the courage to hop across. "Water damage,"he murmured.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"I said _I'm fine_ ," he snapped, walking forward again.

Allen stood still for a moment, processing what had happened. He let out a breath and forced himself forward, not sure if he was walking straight or not. He took a practice leap over the hole that Luciano had made and made it without a problem. He looked back at the hole, seeing three floors down. He swallowed hard, his gut twisting.

"We can do this…"

Luciano finally stopped and said, "Allen. You're up."

Allen walked up next to him and examined the area. It was a complete mess and looked like there was a bomb that went off. He could see out of the roof five floors above them, and mapped a route around it as if it were second nature. He was never as good as Matt was at parkour, but he definitely wasn't bad at it anymore.

"Where to, Luc?"

The Italian gave him a sideways glance that was somewhere between exhaustion and disgust. "Don't call me that." Before Allen could apologize, he pointed up at a foggy window two floors up. "I want you to get a look out of that window."

Allen nodded and looked around. There was a rope hanging from a crossbeam close to the window. He made a note that he'd use it to get down if it was sturdy enough, which it looked like it might be.

He took a deep breath and glanced at Lutz nervously before starting. Lutz gave him an encouraging smile and a thumbs up.

While he climbed, Lutz strolled up next to Luciano to watch. After a few minutes, Allen made it to the floor below the window, and he seemed puzzled on where to go next.

"So," Luciano said, softly. "How long do you think it'll take him to realize I know he's stoned out of his brains?" His tone was very deadpan.

Lutz tried not to laugh. "He's worried you'll be pissed."

"I am."

"If it makes it any better… he said it was an accident."

Luciano's face changed a bit, going from unamused to somewhat understanding. "Huh." He crossed his arms and watched as Allen struggled to cross a small gap. "That makes more sense, actually."

Lutz smiled. "You've got this," he called to the American. "Don't look down and you'll be alright."

Allen swallowed hard and quickly took his advice. He stopped clinging to the wall and took a step back before clearing the gap successfully.

"Idiot," Luciano muttered.

"He tries, at least," Lutz defended.

He squinted at the American, his dark eyes peeling every layer back and assessing his entire being. "I suppose."

Lutz patted his shoulder. "Lighten up. He's not a bad kid. You have a lot in common. Like a temper."

"Fuck you."

Allen finally got to the level with the window, but he had to clear an even larger gap to get to the ledge the window was by. He took a long and slow breath, reminding himself who was watching, then bravely ran to clear the jump.

The two on the floor tensed up for a moment, seeing him make the clearing in slow motion before relaxing as his feet planted firmly on the ledge, his balance fully in tact.

"Nice work," Luciano said. "What's out there?"

Allen grinned from ear to ear, hearing the compliment, and pressed his hands to the window and peered out.

His smile fell almost immediately.

Allen moved slowly, pulling his phone from his pocket and tapping on it, eyes wide and stricken with fear.

"The hell… Are you fucking texting?! You stupid son of a-"

"Picture," he said, not looking down at them. He turned to the window and cleaned a small area with his sleeve before lifting his phone and looking through. His hands shook slightly as he snapped a few photos.

He pulled the phone from the window and turned back to the others. "You… you're gonna wanna see this."

Lutz and Luciano exchanged a look of confusion. Luciano stepped forward and gestured for the phone. Allen hesitated, then tossed it underhand. As soon as he let go, he turned back to the window.

"Fuck…"

He stepped away from the window and immediately made a jump for the rope he'd spotted before.

Luciano stared at the pictures, eyebrows pushing together. Lutz made a, 'let me see' gesture and Luciano handed it off.

"They saw me," Allen was saying as he carefully slid down the rope.

The picture showed a line of people, all standing by guards with guns and dogs. The people were in tattered clothes, looking awfully dead. Lutz could even see one of the guards looking directly at Allen in the picture.

Lutz pocketed the phone and stood at the edge of the floor before it dropped into nothing. "Allen, jump. I'll catch you."

Allen's face was full of fear, but he started to swing. As soon as he heard the doors downstairs being busted open, he let go, almost missing the ledge and Lutz, but the German was anything but weak and caught him by the arm. In seconds, the three were running like hell.

Luciano lead the way, taking them through the building as if he'd been there a thousand times. Allen guessed that he might have had it all mapped int he event of something like this. He was very prepared with everything. Hell, he probably had all of his outfits planned for the entire month.

He had the walkie out, shouting instructions to the others, demanding back up and giving locations. His face was twisted in anger.

Lutz seemed to fall behind a bit, muttering, "Those aren't nice dogs," and constantly glancing over his shoulder. The distant barking started getting louder. Allen felt his chest getting heavier and his legs getting weaker and weaker. He felt like crying.

SNAP! CRASH!

Luciano and Allen screeched to a stop.

"LUTZ!" Luciano flailed and stared down into the hole that Lutz had crashed into. Dust was still hovering around him, but he managed to get to his feet.

"Go," he said, out of breath. "I'll be fine. You two need to get going." He pulled Allen's phone out. "I have this. Call me when you're safe."

Luciano gripped the ledge tightly, staring down at his friend. "You can't…"

Lutz smiled, his teeth perfect and his lips curling perfectly around them.

Had Allen not been interested in someone else, he might have been swooned.

"You two will be fine, and I will, as well. I'm going back to find Viktor and the others." He nodded at Allen. "Your brother and Francois should be coming in to find us. Find them."

With a bit of fear and confusion, Allen nodded.

The sounds of dogs barking started again and grew too close for comfort.

" _Go_ ," Lutz said, then disappeared under the floor, running like a bat out of hell.

Neither of the boys took a moment to consider his order and got running again. Luciano was obviously uncomfortable, but they didn't have an option otherwise.

"He's got this, man," Allen panted, trying to reassure him.

Luciano ignored him and veered to the right, straight for the roof where the brain dead people and guards were.

"What are you doing," Allen gasped.

"There's a fire escape this way." Luciano got to a window and pried it open. There was a rickety fire escape outside, like he had said, and they both took it, carefully winding down the stairs and towards the ground. It was halfway down when they simultaneously noticed a row of prisoners standing on the roof next to their building. It was next to another building that was in front of the sun, making it an easy place to hide for the time. They halted and stared for a long time, taking a moment to breathe. There were distant shouts on the other side of the building, out of view.

Allen looked down and tapped Luciano on the shoulder, pointing to the ground. The fire escape lead to water, which had taken over this part of the small abandoned town.

"I…can't swim…" Luciano was white faced and gripping the railing so hard that it was creaking under his strength.

Allen looked back at the roof. It wasn't far from the escape… close enough to jump, even without parkour skills.

"I have an idea," he said, moving for the roof.

"What? You're stoned brain can think anything?"

He didn't answer. His gut was in the right place, and the high had him focusing on his target like a hawk. It was strange, as wobbly as he was, there was something in his brain zeroing in on thoughts and actions, making outside concentration impossible, but his goal was in his hands. As long as he wasn't interrupted, he would be able to pull this off.

He stepped back, then cleared the gap with ease. He his behind an air conditioning unit, watching for guards. He then grabbed two of the prisoners. They didn't resist, but lazily stumbled with him. He yanked his jacket off, then shoved it on one. He turned to see Luciano next to him, eyeing him suspiciously. "Jacket and hat." The demand was so… short and weighted. Luciano blinked, then obeyed, watching Allen take his clothes and put them on the other prisoner. He shoved both of the prisoners being the air conditioner, then ran to the back, grabbing two more prisoners. The guards were too busy hunting intruders to notice.

He pulled the new ones over to the empty spot, placing them in line. He then grabbed Luciano and dragged him to the spot he'd opened up.

Luciano, again, followed in both confusion and awe. Once there, Allen turned to Luciano and said, "I'm sorry," before untucking his shirt, unbuttoning his sleeves and collar, taking his tie and ditching it, and untucking his pants from his boots. "Mess up your hair," he demanded, before giving himself the same treatment.

Luciano obeyed, ruffling his hair and making himself look messy. "Now…?"

He pushed Luciano in line. The dogs from the building were getting closer, and someone shouted about them going down the fire escape. "Act like a zombie, and when they move, follow them."

Luciano acted quickly, letting his shoulders slump and his head bowed slightly.

"Perfect." Allen slumps his shoulders back and kept his head up, but cocked to the left a bit so that he could keep an eye on everyone. The high was good for making him look braindead.

Now, it was a waiting game. Allen started coming up with a back-up plan, considering if they were caught.

The dogs started violently scratching at the windows. The dogs in the sun, leashed to the guards on the roof, were getting antsy, as well. On guard stepped out of the window and onto the fire escape.

"Take the hounds back to the roof," he ordered, then proceeded to take out his gun and shoot both decoys in the heads.

Luciano visibly flinched.

The guard called out, "Get them moving again!"

And just like that, all of the others went back to acting like nothing had happened. The prisoners, or zombies, started walking.

Luciano and Allen followed suit, walking with them and stopping when they stopped. The dogs on leashes were still whining.

A woman with fiery red hair walked out, looking furious. "What was all of THAT," she snarled, hands waving. "Why did I hear gun shots? Where are the intruders?"

"The intruders are dead. Hence the shots," one guard replied.

"Don't you fucking sass me you idiot," she stomped back to the line, and grabbed Luciano by the sleeve, dragging him out to the group of guards she was shouting at.

Allen stiffened. The group had stopped again. Luciano wasn't giving up on the act, though.

"If I see one more incident like this," she shook Luciano the entire time, "I'll have these brainless fucks maul you worse than the dogs!" She released Luciano, and he stumbled and fell to the ground. Wearily, he rose again, hoping it was the right move. "This operation can't be taken down," she panted, still clenching her teeth. "If you-know-who gets past our defense, it's game over. If you value your lives, and your children's lives, do your fucking job." She turned to walk out, and snapped, "And get him in line." The woman stormed off, her hair like fire behind her.

There was silence, then one guard walked over and carefully pushed Luciano back in line.

"What would SHE care if our kids got hurt," one man growled.

"Don't…" the one who had helped Luciano said, sounding exhausted.

"Don't? Don't what? Have, yet another, kid get mauled?"

"You know she didn't want to."

The one arguing huffed. "She's crazy. The kids, the dogs, and don't get me started on the room."

"We don't talk about the room," one joked.

"Yeah," the angry one snarled. "It's fucked up, even for the enemies we got."

"Would you rather you- know-who-"

"He isn't fucking Voldemort."

"I'd rather Voldy," the joke man said. "At least I know what kills him. Mr. Fuck-face Leather is a psycho."

"…Well, he is-"

"We need to get back to work. One more innocent… Well, if he thinks we're incompetent, you know what will happen."

"…Alright, fine." He turned and called out, "Let's move!"

The line started again, and the two were very cautious to keep up the pace. They were getting closer to where the dogs were, making things a lot less comfortable as they whined and barked.

One man, holding the leash of one, leaned down to the dog. He said something to the man next to him.

The sun was shining on them now, and the other edge of the roof drew closer. Allen had a horrible feeling. And as he watched the man with the dog reach for the collar, he knew what had to be done.

"Luci," he whispered.

Luciano twitched slightly.

"Run."

"Wha-"

The dog was unleashed.

Allen grabbed him and ran for the edge, dragging Luciano behind him. The dog barked and snarled, honing in closer and closer. Gun shots whizzed by.

"I can't swi-"

Allen practically dragged Luciano off of the roof. The dog nipped Luciano's heels.

The fall seemed to last an eternity, until they hit the frigid water. Without hesitating, Allen dragged the panicking Italian through one of the broken windows of the building that they were standing on.

He didn't stop, dragging him through a room before finding a hole to get air in. They came to the surface sputtering and coughing, Luciano in full panic.

"I can't! I c-can-"

Allen pushed him to a beam that was hanging off of the ceiling to hold on to. "Luciano, shut up," he snapped. The cold water was sobering.

He panted and gasped, trying to get back to calm. "It's- it's fucking c-cold…"

"I know," Allen said, panting as well. "We need to keep moving, though. I'll help you swim, okay?"

Luciano looked at him, terrified.

"C'mon man," he coughed to the side and turned back, trying to be sincere. "You need to trust me."

Luciano pressed his lips together, obviously not okay, but nodded.

"Which way did you direct my brother?"

Luciano took a moment to think. So much had happened in a second, that he needed time to recollect. Finally, he pointed in a general direction. "The building I sent them to is there."

Allen nodded. They stayed for a moment, the silence sinking in. They were far below the roof, so their voices were completely muted.

Once they were both able to breathe normally, Allen took Luciano's wrist, and Luciano grabbed his back. They swam under, making their way to the building. They would occasionally find an air pocket, gasp for a while, then go back under.

They met air just before leaving the building to skip to the building parallel. Hopefully, this would be where they would find Matt. Allen was silently praying that he and Francois weren't taken prisoner. They went far under the surface to clear this gap, considering that the guards might be looking. They also took a path with more shade, so that the sun wouldn't deceive them.

Once in the other building,, Allen made it a goal to get out of the water. His limbs were getting numb.

Luciano looked around, then said in a raspy voice, "We're near a hotel."

Allen glanced back at him as he paddled through the room. "You sure?"

He nodded.

Allen smiled. "Well, maybe we're in luck." He found a set of stairs and they pulled themselves out of the water. "How do you know?"

"I mapped the place next to here. I saw the design of this one, and considered exploring it." He shrugged. "I liked the architecture."

If it wasn't halfway submerged in water, it would have been a nice place, Allen thought. It looked like an old bank or courthouse. "What was this place? I mean, the town."

Luciano thought for a moment. "I think, during some kind of riot a long time ago, it got destroyed and nature just… took over." He shivered as he walked. "I think it sank into the ground a bit, and water just started filling the place up. It had no chance." He shook his head sadly. "Such a pity."

They made their way into a dark hallway, only a light at the end.

They both paused, the floor whining below them. There was a very human-like shadow in the light. They waited, and when it moved, they both ducked around the corner.

The sound of metal clicking bounced off of the walls, and heavy footsteps started down the hall.

Luciano pulled out a knife, his eyes narrowing.

"I know you're there," a voice said, all too calm.

Allen's heart leaped in his chest. "Mattie?"

"Allen?" They turned the corner and Matt was already putting his gun down. "Fuck, you two scared me." He put the weapon back on his back. "You both look like shit." He waved for them to follow, and they gladly did so. They all met in the room where the light came from, which was because the floor was the only remaining part of the floor. The top chunk was completely gone. Francois was sitting in the corner, gun on his lap and cigarette in his mouth.

"I'd slow down with those, old man," Matt said. "Looks like this mission isn't ending any time soon."

Francois growled and leaned back, but he seemed relieved to see Allen and Luciano in one piece. "Lutz?"

"He went out looking for Viktor," Allen explained.

Luciano was busy checking his pockets. "Fuck… my radio was in my jacket."

Allen frowned. "Sorry…"

"Don't be," he sighed. "You got us out of there."

He blinked, then blushed. "Wha- no, I didn't-"

Francois rolled his eyes and grumbled something.

Luciano waved a hand. "You did well." He gave a small, and completely sincere smile. "Even if you were completely stoned."

Allen bit his lip.

"That's my bad," Matt said, sitting back next to Francois.

Luciano shrugged. "Trust me… it happens." He gave a glare to the side. "I can't imagine you doing it on purpose… unlike some people."

They all exchanged glances.

"Did Flavio…?" Matt was trying not to laugh.

"Let's not reminisce."

Allen put a hand over his mouth. "Was that when you went to gave a speech for a meeting, and paused for ten minutes?"

"I said, 'let's not reminisce,' now shut up! Idiot."

Matt stared at them, and veered the conversation away. "You two look cold. And tired. There's a hotel right next door," He stood up. "You guys should take a minute."

Luciano went to protest, but Francois stood up and said, "He's right. We need to wait for Lutz to regroup before we move anyhow."

And of course, the old man was right, and no one argued.

Luciano argued about removing his clothes, but Matt wasn't taking no for an answer. They found decent blankets to cover the two, and Matt found a functional fireplace. The Canadian made a fire within minutes, impressing Luciano.

He still wasn't fond of having only a blanket to cover his body.

Matt had taken their clothes to a spot of sun to dry them, and came back looking perplexed.

"So.." He made a face. "I laid your knives out to dry, too. All… fifty."

Luciano was curled up by the fire, and barely moved when he said, "They're all stainless steel, so they shouldn't rust, but thank you."

Allen had fallen asleep on the floor next to Luciano, wrapped in his blanket tightly. To Luciano's surprise, he didn't snore.

Francois was keeping annoy out on the outside when his radio blipped.

" _Hello?_ "

Francois rolled his eyes and pulled it up, clicking the "2" on the side. "What, Oliver?"

" _Franny! Goodness, it's nice to hear your voice._ "

Viktor's voice came through. " _What do you want_ ," he said, blandly.

" _Ah, see… we're in a bit of a situat- Oh! Have you found Allen?_ "

"Oui. What's happening?"

" _Oh, good! They're okay! So good to hear! I was quite worried you kn-_ "

" _Oliver, for fuck's sake_ ," Flavio wailed in the background. " _Now isn't the time for this shit!_ "

Francois and Matt exchanged a glance. They also had Luciano's full attention.

" _Oh, you're going to owe the swear jar when we get home._ "

" _You mean IF? Fucking- give me that!_ "

There was some static. Flavio came on, obviously crying. " _We're in trouble._ "

" _I wanted to talk…_ "

" _Shut UP, Oliver!_ " He sniffed, distressed. Luciano had ventured next to them, listening intently. " _Are- are you all still there?_ "

Luciano pressed the button now. "Where are you and what happened," he said flatly.

" _Oh, Luci, I'm so happy to hear you_ ," he sniffled again and continued. " _We got captured. Some-some kids found us. We tried talking to them and- and then someone came behind us-_ "

" _Chloroform is one heck of a drug_ ," Oliver said.

" _Now we're tired up_ ," Flavio sobbed.

"Can you see outside," Luciano asked.

There was a pause.

" _I can_ ," Oliver said. " _A church, I think?_ "

"What side?"

Another pause. " _I can see the round, stained glass window. It's shattered in most parts, but I think… I think it's Jesus? Heavens, I don't know._ "

"Is anyone there?"

" _They're out of the room for now, so I'd advise not checking in_ ," Oliver was far too calm for the situation.

Matt frowned. He clicked the "1". "You get all of that, Viktor?"

" _Da. We will come._ " There was a loud crash. " _Or not._ "

"Or… Or not?"

" _We're being invaded. Hold on._ "

The three exchanged worried looks.

"Is ANYTHING good going to happen," Luciano whispered, feeling defeated.

" _Oh_ ," Viktor said, again, his tone was as flat as a ten year old boy's chest. " _It's German. We're good._ "

Luciano snatched the radio. "Lutz?"

" _Da_."

Another voice came on. " _Luciano?_ "

Luciano let out a sigh of relief. "Don't fucking scare me like that again or I'll let the Pink One turn you into a pastry."

You could hear Lutz's smile in his voice. " _Glad you're okay. I'll help these two get Oliver and Flav, then we'll get you. Be ready!_ "

The line went dead, and there was a small feeling of hope filling the room.

Lutz had that kind of impact on people.

 _ **A/N: That's only chapter one! I wanna thank y'all for reading. I also want to make a quick note for the upcoming chapters- this isn't going to get better. The situations are going to get worse, and I'm going to get more and more… well, I'm going to put a light on our beloved 2p!'s. Blood, sex, and violence, as they say.**_

 _ **I hope you enjoyed and the next chapter will be done soon.**_


	2. Mission 2: Tea Party

_**A/N: Trigger warnings: Violence, blood, and underlying sexual assault.**_

 _ **The last warning is short lived, and won't continue.**_

 _ **Overall, I enjoyed writing this for Oliver, and I hope you enjoy.**_

 _ **PS- I hope that you can pick out some of the references I'm dropping!**_

Oliver sighed. Flavio's sobbing was becoming a problem. Their hands were bound behind them, and their ankles were also bound. Oliver feared that Flavio's mouth would get taped shut.

He let out another wail, and he flinched at the noise.

On second thought, perhaps they should gag him. Though, that wouldn't help their crew find them.

He wondered who would get them. Maybe Luciano, since this was his brother, after all.

He considered what was happening. The children they'd seen before returned. There were four. The one little girl's name was Mary, and that was the only name he'd picked up so far. She had beautiful blonde curls that bounced off of her shoulders. She wore a pretty green dress and had sparkly blue eyes. Little Mary was very friendly, constantly talking to the two. She wanted to have a tea party, and that's what she was setting up at the moment.

The only other girl was a little tomboy. She reminded him of Buttercup from the Powerpuff Girls, and she was certainly a trouble maker. Her tone was always cynical and sarcastic, and she'd already been scolded several times for bullying Mary.

The leader boy, whose name hadn't been said, was a platinum blonde with striking blue eyes and a tone of absolute authority. It was a strange sense of bratty and commanding, especially since the other kids seemed to like him. He stood tall and cocky, seeming to have all of the cards in his hand and always talking down to the others. He wore a collared shirt and a vest with dress pants. He seemed like he was trying to be not the leader, but the king.

The last child was… very bland. And quiet. He wore a red shirt, black pants, and had dark hair that was cut in the most standard 'this is a child' way possible. The boy had no defining features, except for the red shirt. He didn't say anything and stayed in the back, watching. It wasn't menacing. In fact, Oliver almost forgot to consider him.

"Annie? Jack? Do you wanna join my tea party," little Mary asked. She turned to the boy in red. "You can come, too." That last offer seemed less like an invitation and more as a second thought. Poor kid.

"Mary," Jack, the leader, huffed. "Now is not the time for parties."

"But you're British," Mary argued. "You love tea."

Jack sneered and crossed his arms. "And because you're French, you like snails?"

"Maybe," she sang, clicking her little self-heating teapot on. "Annie?"

"Tea parties are for stupid girls."

"I'm not stupid!" She whipped around to the other boy. "You?"

The boy shyly shook his head and scooted back.

She pouted. "No one wants my tea."

"I do," Oliver said, nonchalantly.

"Shut up, Oliver," Flavio snapped.

"Don't be rude."

Jack glared down at them. "Who said you could talk?"

Flavio immediately shut up and went back to crying.

"Well, you haven't asked me not to," Oliver suggested, smiling. "Besides, what's the harm in tea?"

The boy eyed him. "Why aren't you like him?" He looked at Flavio, who didn't seem to ever run out of tears.

"Flavio's just… overreacting."

"OVERREACTING?!"

"Yes, love."

Jack smiled. It was a cruel and snotty smile. That kind of smile that makes you want to slap the face holding it. "And you're not scared?"

"Not particularly. I believe Flavi here forgets that we've been through much worse."

"That was before Italy came together."

"Oh, right. You're a tad more vulnerable. Nonetheless, you're still durable. You need to be to live with Luciano."

"Shut. Up!"

Oliver ignored him and turned to the others. "Are we having tea?"

"Yes!" Mary was pouring him a glass. "I don't have milk. Or sugar. Or tea."

Oliver stared down at the small cup of lukewarm water. "Delightful." He gestured to their bags, which had been placed in the corner of the small room. "I never forget to bring supplies for tea, you know. If you'd like…"

Mary lit up immediately and made a break for their bags, sorting through and finding bags of tea and sugar. "Oh! Yay!"

Oliver giggled. He liked this one.

She scrambled back and poured the water back into the pot, then dropped a few bags in.

Watching, Oliver knew this would be a very strong batch of tea. He'd ask for extra sugar.

Annie found something in the meantime, and sat in front of Flavio. "Hey," she said, smiling.

Flavio looked up at her, helpless. "Sí?"

She giggled and pulled a pair of scissors out. "I don't like that curl."

He immediately shoved back on Oliver, squealing. "No! No! Don't-a touch my curl! Get away!"

She continued giggling, teasing him with the scissors and snipping them all too close for comfort.

Oliver was sitting forward, uncomfortable with Flavio's weight, but said, "Two sugars, please."

Mary was happily complying, ignoring the ruckus next to her. Jack, on the other hand, was growing impatient and angry.

"Enough! Enough! Both of you, come along with me," he snapped, grabbing the scissors from Annie. "You're noisy! Let's go!"

They both whined, but followed him outside where he continued shouting at them.

When the door closed, Oliver sighed.

"They're evil! Horrible children… How are you calm? How?"

Oliver shrugged. "I don't see much of a problem."

"We're tied up! We're hostages!"

Oliver blinked, then slipped his hands out from the rope without effort. "But they're kids."

Flavio hadn't noticed. "No, they're demons."

Oliver started stirring his tea thoughtfully. "You know, they're not so bad when you calm down and talk to them."

"The one's a fucking dictator, the one's a psycho, the one you're playing with is just mad…and the other-" Flavio screamed. "Is still here!"

As he was sipping his tea, he waved a little to the boy in the room.

He waved back and smiled softly.

Flavio started crying again. "You- you heard all of it…"

He nodded, then shrugged.

"Do you care," Oliver asked, still trying to make the tea drinkable.

He shook his head.

Flavio whimpered. "Are they mean to you?"

The kid looked away for a second, then nodded.

"He's a lot like Gilen, you know."

"Agreed," Flavio said, sadly. "Hey, kid, do you have a name?"

The boy stood up and padded over to them. He took Oliver's hand and started trying letters.

"A…R…N…D…T. Arndt?"

The boy nodded and smiled. It appeared that this was the first encounter he'd had with someone asking for his name.

"That sounds…. Danish?"

The boy nodded once.

"Markell would be proud to know such a fine boy is of his country," Oliver said kindly.

Arndt seemed confused, but shrugged again. He looked around and stood again. They watched the boy run to the window, looking out, then to the wall he was sitting against. He pressed an ear to the wall, listening.

Some time passed. The room was silent, and the children outside seemed to also fall quiet.

The boy was scouting the room, listening and checking the walls. Oliver continued drinking tea and nudged Flavio, offering him some.

Flavio looked back and his jaw dropped. "You- you're free?!"

"You aren't?"

Flavio struggled some, and shook his head.

"Huh." He pulled a knife from seemingly nowhere. "They're terrible at binding people." He cut Flavio's ties and offered the knife for his ankles. Oliver easily slipped from his binds already, and had his legs folded.

Flavio cut himself free and gave the knife back to Oliver. "Seriously, how?"

Oliver shrugged and poured him a glass of tea. "You might as well relax a bit."

Flavio hesitated, but sat next to him with tea. Just as he brought the tea to his lips, a loud crash rang outside, making him scream and drop the tea. He didn't bother to worry about the mess as he scrambled backwards, the boy also seeming nervous and backing away.

Screams from the children, a few gunshots… then silence. A moment passed.

Thump, thump, thump.

Heavy boots got closer and closer. Flavio screamed when a metal rod broke through the door.

A muffled, "Was that necessary," was heard through the door.

Oliver smiled and kept drinking, almost finished.

Viktor broke the door off of it's hinges and peered around the room. "Help has come."

Flavio, now sobbing again, snapped, "You asshole!" He got up and ran to Lutz's side, clinging to his arm.

"Oh, hey, another kid," Yang said, sounding a little dazed.

"No! He's okay," Flavio cried, holding Lutz tighter.

The kid walked up to them, puny compared to Viktor and Lutz, and gestured for them to follow him.

Lutz looked over at Oliver, who was carefully putting his belongings back in his bag and picking Flavio's up as well, handing it to him.

"We go, now." Viktor turned to let the child lead the way and yanked his pipe out of the door with one gesture.

The small group started walking, Flavio sobbing all over Lutz's jacket. He was obviously not okay with that. "Flavi, we're going to get to your brother. You're fine."

"I am not! This is-"

"Hush." Viktor waved his pipe. "I can break your you cry for a reason."

His English never was the best.

Flavio resisted the urge to yell more, but calmed a bit when Lutz patted him and whispered, "We saw some guards outside. We need to stay quiet, okay?"

Flavio held his arm and pouted, but he listened.

Oliver kept to the back, eyeing his surroundings. The boy seemed to be very on edge as well, cautiously taking corners and weaving through the destruction, though, this building was more in tact than most others.

Voices echoed behind them.

"Oh, great. More guns," Viktor switched his pipe for his gun.

Yang bit his lip. "Y'know, I don't think this is the best place, Vik."

He was right. The halls here were narrow and it was easy to get caught in the open, especially with how many of them there were.

Oliver handed his pack to Lutz. "You should all run." He smiled and stepped back, his knife out again.

"Oliver, don't be stupid," Flavio snapped.

Lutz had a pained look on his face. He wanted to say something, but he'd known Oliver for a long enough time to know… he wouldn't listen. "Do you have your radio?"

Oliver nodded, holding it up. Flavio looked surprised, since he'd had it last.

"I'll distract these brutes and meet you all back at… where?"

"Viktor pulled out his map and pointed at a location. "You keep this. I know where." He backed off, not bothering with a winded goodbye and dragged Yang and the kid along.

"Good luck," Lutz said, sadly, before backing away.

Oliver offered a small smile and wave before turning around

I've got this, he thought in confidence.

He was able to get the men to follow him. They didn't look like guards, but like a biker gang. They were older and ugly. Worn leather and shirts that dated back to the eighties.

Oliver assumed that they were Americans, which was an oddity, considering that they were in Italy.

He was able to get them on their trail quickly by stomping and making a ton of noise, tossing chairs and cracking floorboards. As soon as he caught them, he was able to lose them.

Oliver had a great advantage. He was small, thin, and light. He knew how to make a lot of noise and he knew how to make none at all. He found a good place to hide, waited for the burly men to race by, then started hunting the hunters.

His knife was drawn and he was ready for blood.

They seemed lost, as expected. Three ran into a room while the remaining two went down the stairs. Oliver camped outside of the room, waiting, listening. They were angry and wanted blood. Luckily, they were expecting more than one person.

"I'm checking with the others," one snarled, and started out the door.

He didn't get very far, since Oliver's knife was lodged in his throat. He pulled it out and the large man gagged and sputtered as he bled out in silence. Oliver was still in the shadows, his eyes laced with purple. It took a while for the man to die, but the other two were too busy flipping the room upside down to notice the blood pouring into the door frame. He smiled as the light died from the man's eyes. Pity.

"What's that? Ron?" Another came to the door, not yet seeing the small Brit. "Mike, Ron is-"

His shout was very short lived, as a knife was buried in his temple. Not as bloody as the last, but he did his job. He kicked the man off of his knife and he flopped over his dead friend.

The last man was coming already, having seen him and drew his gun. Oliver snickered and held his hands up, coming into the door frame. A composed smile on his face. "Oh, dear, you've caught me!"

"Put that knife down you fuck!"

Oliver frowned. "Swear jar." And he lunged the knife, with hardly any effort, right between his eyes. He ducked immediately after, and was right to do so, since the gun fired. He heard a thump behind him and turned around. That last fire saved him a fuss, since there were now three bodies piled on each other.

"Huh."

A click next to his ear made him freeze.

"Huh, is right," a gravelly voice said. The barrel of a gun pressed to his head. "Hands up. Back into the room." Oliver complied, not showing a hint of fear or anxiety. The man came into the light, pushing Oliver back. "You just killed my friends."

"You have terrible friends."

"Had, asshole."

"Excuse you."

That earned a whip to the skull. The metal connected suddenly, throwing Oliver entirely off guard and off balance. He put a hand to his head and another for his waist, reaching for his own gun. He wasn't fond of using it, but in this situation…

The man kicked him in the ribs, throwing him completely to the floor. "I'll take that." He snatched the gun from Oliver and tossed it across the room. He was big, looked awfully heavy, but not out of shape. He was shorter than Lutz, but he'd probably weigh the same. His hair was long and tied back, mostly black with streaks of grey. His beard, on the other hand, was all grey.

"You should really consider hanging out with nicer people," Oliver groaned, struggling to his knees.

"You never shut up, do ya?"

Another steel toed kick, this one to the stomach. It knocked the air out of him, and had him on his back, gasping. The man straddled him, then rested his weight on his stomach, making breathing almost impossible.

"You...big...b-brute…"

"Heh. No wonder Americans kicked your people's asses."

Oliver opened his eyes, slightly hurt.

"Nothin but pansies!" He reeled back, his fist coated with heavy looking rings, and struck him in the jaw.

It hurt, and he was sure something cracked, but there was nothing that this man could do that was worse than anything he's ever endured.

Nothing.

He grabbed Oliver by the collar, lifted him from the ground, then slammed him back down.

He saw stars dance in his vision.

"Hell, I wonder if you're even a man."

Something about that last line was far too unsettling, and Oliver's stomach twisted. He kicked his legs out, though he was helplessly pinned to the floor.

The man sneered. "You're a wiry little fuck, aren't you." His tone was getting more and more uncomfortable. The man hit him again, and he spat blood. After coughing and gasping a bit, the man laughed.

"Fucking pathe-" Oliver yanked an arm free and nailed the man in the nose, sending him back far enough for him to struggle free. "You son of a bitch." Oliver was fast, but the man caught him by the ankle and dragged him to the floor again, and knocking the wind from his lungs. Again.

This time Oliver was on his stomach, elbows bent and hands on the floor, ready to move again. The heavy man put his hands on Oliver's back and set all of his weight on him. "You're pissing me off you little cockroach." He wrapped a hand around the back of his neck and pressed. "I'm gonna beat you until you squeal like the little rat that you are."

Oliver's heart jumped, and his teeth ground together.

"When I'm done with you… you'll be begging to die."

"Where's Oliver?" Matt was watching as the group came in, and Lutz's face was twisted in fear. "We ran off. We were being chased."

Luciano, who was mostly dressed, walked up to them. Flavio let go of Lutz and practically tackled his brother and started crying.

"Shush, shush," he snapped. "The American's still sleeping."

"I'm sorry. I was just- I was so worried I thought you'd die and there were these kids and one wanted to cut my curl and-"

"We were almost mauled by dogs. Calm down."

Flavio sniffled and hiccupped. "Oh, but you're alive! Alive!" He hugged him tightly, and Luciano sighed.

Francois looked tense, fondling his radio. He exchanged a glance with Matt, and they had the same thought.

"I'm going after Oliver," Matt said, taking the radio. "I'll let you know when I get him, okay?"

The Frenchman was still stiff, but nodded. "You know how he is," he muttered.

"I do," he said, and grabbed his coat and guns. "Viktor, Lutz, you guys get everyone settled for now. This is going to be a base until everyone is together."

They nodded. "We'll keep this place safe until you're back," Lutz said, seeming happy to know someone was going after Oliver.

Matt didn't waste time and ran out.

His thoughts went immediately to what kind of trouble he'd have to bail him out of. Oliver had a bad habit of making bad situations worse, mostly because he'd get a little too overzealous. He'd kill and kill, or fight and fight, even if he was outnumbered, or if it wasn't necessary. Matt wasn't entirely worried about Oliver's health. He was pretty strong for how little he was. He could even take him down when he had to. He'd seen Oliver wrangle Lutz before. Sure, he'd been having an episode and he hurt himself in the process, but that strength had to come from somewhere.

Even in these later years, Oliver proved to be pretty spry.

He dropped down in the building where they'd been when Oliver split off. He stood for a moment, listening to what sounded like a pretty violent struggle, and sighed. "Gee," He muttered, walking and pulling his gun out. "I wonder where Oliver could be." The sarcasm was real with this one. That was until he found a pile of dead bodies outside of the room with fighting. He quickly lifted his weapon and stepped in, seeing Oliver being pushed to the ground under a large man, whose intentions were anything but good. Matt rarely got angry. He rarely lost his cool. He rarely used the butt of a gun to beat someone to death. He rarely did that with the amount of force and anger. He'd rarely felt like he was at all related to Oliver… until the red in this vision melted away.

His breath was ragged. His arms and face were covered in blood and his hands were shaking.

He looked up and saw Oliver leaning against the wall, arms wrapped around his knees and blood coming from his mouth.

"Oliver," he tossed his gun aside and got to his knees in front of him. "Oliver…"

"I'm alright." He looked up at him, his eyes the same shade of purple as Matt's now. He looked a bit dazed. He smiled softly, blood through his teeth. "You have impeccable timing, love."

Matt wasn't a man for hugs, but he had the most urgent need to hug him.

"I think I should be the one asking if you're okay," he said, petting the boy's long hair.

Matt held him tighter, anger bubbling back in him.

"It's okay. I promise…" Oliver waited for a moment to speak again, desperately trying not to cry. "Mattie, it's okay."

"I swear if-"

"No."

He pushed back, studying his beaten face.

"I'm fine." He tried smiling again. "Besides, it's not as though this is the f-" He cut himself off. He frowned, then patted the floor next to him. "Sit."

Matt's stomach curled, thinking of how he was going to end that sentence. Though, he obeyed. He pressed his face in his hands and let out a long sigh.

"You should relax, love." Oliver pet his arm.

"Why are you trying to comfort _me_?"

He giggled. "Because, like it or not, you're my boy, too. You and Allen are very important to me." He leaned back and winced. "A crazed pervert and a few broken ribs aren't enough to break me." The blue was slowly returning to his eyes. "Well… metaphorically, at least."

Matt leaned back as well, staring over the blood covered room. "...Did I do that?"

Oliver smiled. "Yes. Yes, you did." He coughed and spat blood to the side. "At least we heal quickly…"

Matt pulled his radio out and held it for a moment. "I'm checking in real quick."

Oliver nodded.

He pressed the "1". "I got him."

Static, then, "Everything alright?" Lutz was the one to answer.

"Yeah. Had to fight a few off, but we're good. We'll be back in a few." He clicked the radio off and set it down.

"This mission is a mess," Oliver said, looking tired.

"It is…" He stood up and offered Oliver a hand. He took it and the two gathered their things and started walking. Oliver had a slight limp, but he was getting along fine. Matt lead him down the stairs and towards the lower floors that were flooded.

"Why…"

"Thought you could wash up. It's cold, but at least you'll look less like a vampire."

Oliver giggled, then coughed, spitting again. Once they got to the water, the sat on the stairs and started washing off. Oliver hesitated, then took his clothes off.

"Hey, warn a guy before you strip," Matt joked, waving a hand.

Oliver could only roll his eyes as he set his things aside and dipped into the freezing water. "It's not so bad," he said, submerging himself completely. He took a breath and ducked under, scrubbing the blood from his hair and face. Some was his, some wasn't. Matt was busy cleaning his own face and arms. When Oliver came up he started coughing again.

"C'mon, man. Get out. You don't need to cough any more than you already are."

"Don't...scold me…." He said though hacks. Though, he did come back to the stairs and rested with his legs still under the water. He leaned back, letting the cold set in, countering the swelling he knew he'd be dealing with later. Matt studied him, bruises all over. His face didn't look as bad anymore. His lip was cut and he had a bruise on one eye, but that was the most of it.

For such a small guy, Oliver was durable.

"Thank you, Mattie," he sighed finally.

He looked back at the water. "Don't do that again. Ever."

"I can't make promises," he smiled, sat up, then started rinsing his mouth. "Yuck. This water is awful." His nose crinkled. He crawled out of the water and sat on a dry step for a moment, letting the water drip off of him. A warm weight fell on his shoulders. He blinked and noticed that Matt had given him his jacket to dry off with. He smiled and thanked him again.

After some time, he finally pulled his clothes back on, feeling far better than he had been.

"Hey, Oliver?"

He looked up at him, blue eyes reflecting the light coming from the window at the top of the stairs.

Matt hesitated, standing at the top. His features were overtaken by shadows. His long hair resting on his shoulders, which, for Matt, was rare. "Look, I won't dwell on anything, but..."

Oliver pulled his shoes on and stood up, brushing his shirt of and slinging his jacket over his shoulder. He walked up the stairs and stood very close, the shadows completely hiding his face, aside from the blue in his eyes that pierced through the darkness. "I've been through a lot, over these years," he began, his voice low and smooth. "Today is nothing compared to anything I've endured yet. And you've helped with that." He patted Matt. "It's nothing to discuss. I simply hope I never have to see that side of you again." He walked past him, still limping. "Though, the heavy wench really didn't know what he was doing, fighting or otherwise. Don't think I didn't get a few hits in." He smiled over his shoulder.

Good old Oliver, always cheerful in the darkest situations.

"Luciano, seriously. Why so many?" Matt was helping the Italian gather all fifty knives. He'd counted, just out of curiosity.

"I have more with Lutz. I figure I can always use back up." He tied this things up and adjusted his belt. "It's almost nightfall, now." He glared at the setting sun. "Are you sure that everyone's okay to go?"

Matt nodded. "Allen's pretty much sober, Favio's chilled out, and Oliver..."

"Got his ass kicked."

"You should have seen the other guys."

"He's reckless," he snarled.

"And you're not?" Matt stood up, handing him the last of his knives. "You and Allen jumped off of a fucking building. You tried to blend into a crowd of zombies."

"I... " He hissed. "I didn't break off of my group to go on a killing spree."

"Even Lutz agrees he did it to protect your brother and the others."

He frowned. "..I know. He just…"

"Trust me." Matt put a heavy hand on Luciano's shoulder. "Oliver's high strung. You can't imagine what I walked in on… but he's always got our best intentions in mind."

Luciano laughed. "That's funny, considering how he was."

"You were an asshole, too." Matt started back downstairs. "Consider that."

Luciano stayed there for a moment, then pulled out a map, checking his own marks again before making another speech.

In the common room, he stood in front of the group.

He scanned the crowd. Allen no longer looked like garbage. Considering the black eye, Oliver looked great. He was bouncy and clinging on Francois, babbling about something. Flavio was making conversation with Lutz, who seemed to be eyeing both Oliver and Luciano occasionally. Viktor was dead quiet and Yang was absolutely not sober. His pupils were the size of Oreos. Matt was standing with his arms crossed, lost in thought.

That child that had come in with Lutz seemed to disappear. He made a note of that before speaking.

"Alright," he spoke up. "We're losing daylight. You all needed the time to rest, but now we have two new objectives."

The crowd came to attention. Even Flavio, who'd been so pouty before, came around and was more interested.

"We don't have enough food," he said. "And from what you saw on Allen's phone, these people have to be storing something somewhere." He pulled the map out and held it clumsily. Lutz came forward and held it up for him. He nodded at his friend, then said, "There are two areas where we can find something." He pointed at the two areas.

"Isn't… isn't that theft," Flavio asked, sounding a little sad.

"Considering what these fucks are capable of," Matt said coldly. "I don't think we should give a fuck."

"We can also gather more information," Luciano said.

"Morals are out the window. Got it." Viktor, who wasn't really about morals, seemed more than okay with this.

"So, that's it, then." Luciano gave Lutz a look. "Are we ready?"

"I'm more than thrilled to end some lives," Oliver said, his voice a tad too cheerful.

Francois had a very icy look in his eye as well. "Let's go."

Luciano couldn't help but smile. Considering the past, this was one of few times they all seemed to be getting along.

He hoped it wouldn't end.

They moved out, all packed up and ready for a fight. Oliver, even being a country, was healing a lot faster than anyone expected. That, or he was good at hiding it.

The trip was made from the rooftops. The last of the sunlight guided them to a very sturdy looking structure that only had access from the top. Luciano suggested going through since no other rooftop was able to be reached, unless they wanted to swim in icy waters. Most agreed to avoid that.

They climbed through the roof and found a lift. It looked like it was used for mining, and there wasn't any other method to descend. The whole place was different than the other buildings. It was barren, and clean. It looked like they could have built it recently.

"I suppose…." Oliver gestured to the lift and they all piled in. It was made of metal and felt sturdy. There was one lever in the middle. Luciano looked at his companions, then pulled it. The door shut, locking them in, and the lift started to slowly go down.

Allen studied the outside, noticing that all of the floors were gone and there was nothing but wire and support beams. It was eerie, and even more so when he could see out the windows and they'd gone below the water. The inside was entirely dry.

Why was this place so… secluded? So isolated and abandoned?

There was a sinking fear that this place was only made to be a trap, and the others, even Oliver, seemed to sense that as well. He looked down. The floor was approaching. They finally passed a floor, but the lift wouldn't stop at it. Below that was a dug out basement, far below the water, and under the ground enough that water wouldn't spill in. The lift sputtered and stopped. The door rose and the space they were left in was dark and cold.

Luciano clicked a flashlight on, and walked out with the others carefully trailing him at his heels.

"What's that sound," Yang asked.

They all looked at him, and assumed he was hyped on drugs before Matt said, "I hear it."

They stood quiet. Some thought it was their heart beating, but the pause was for too long. It was some kind of pulse. And explosion or a wave of sound that, if near it, would probably be deafening.

"I vote we don't go near that," Lutz said, raising a hand nervously.

Luciano, who was scanning their perimeter, said, "Unless we go back up, I don't think we have a choice."

Lutz thought about it, then turned back into the lift. His heart fell. "The power's out."

"A trap," Viktor clarified.

Luciano squinted. "I don't know if this is an automatic trap, or if they knew…"

"I didn't see anything, or anyone, coming down," Allen said.

"Nothing," Matt agreed.

They moved slowly, the way out was behind the lift. It was a tunnel that was made by machinery or explosives. The walls were boarded up. "To hell we go then," Francois muttered.

As they drew closer, the pulses god louder. The dirt from the ceiling started to shake off at each pulse, and the crew started standing closer together.

 _Pulse…_ The floor shook ever so slightly. _Pulse…_ Dirt crumbled from the walls around them. _Pulse…_ Dust sprang up, making someone sneeze and a few others cough. _Pulse…_

It was close. Luciano stared into the darkness and noticed a door. It was big and heavy looking, but the metal rattled at every pulse.

"What's… What is it?" Flavio hid behind Lutz while asking.

Luciano continued staring at the door, and handed his flashlight to Allen. "There's only one way to find out."

He walked forward, grabbed the door's handle, and pried it open.

Light poured into the room.

As well as an unknown terror of the underground.

 _ **A/N: I certainly hoped you enjoyed, or at least felt like this was a good chapter. It was both fun and difficult to write, personally. I won't write another chapter like this one. Though, I can also promise an awesome scene to come.**_

 _ **This next chapter is going to be my favorite to write, and I hope that I can make it long enough.**_

 _ **I think by now, you can see where a lot of my inspirations are coming from. But that's the glory of fanfiction.**_

 _ **Thank you, as always, for reading. Please review and stay with me for the next chapter.**_

 _ **I'd also like to point out that I've been binge writing. Please don't expect me to update regularly. I want to continue the content flow, but I might take pauses.**_


	3. Mission 3: Hopscotch

_**A/N: Welcome to the chapter that I've been aching to write.**_

The pulses were now explosions. Shockwaves that would swell up, hold, and then release in a massive explosion. The group watched as Luciano shoved a wooden box into the open, and when a pulse came through, the box was completely obliterated.

This was the room that those guards talked about.

This was what they were hiding.

It was a trap, and likely for a still unknown "you-know-who". Pieces, while coming together, could easily be destroyed if they made the wrong move.

There was a sign on the wall.

" _Cross the field and you'll be rewarded. Die and there will be nothing for us to lose. There's one obstacle we can't cross. Can you?_ "

They stood in silence. The air was thick with dust and fog. The tunnel opened wide, and the floor was now a platform. The earth below was dug out deep enough that they couldn't see the floor, but reflections of water caught their eyes. The platform was very unstable and rocked with each blast. Luciano stepped forward, where the edge of their cover was. He looked out and flinched at the next blast. Everyone watched in horror as to what he was planning.

"There's cover just ahead. If we time it right, and go one at a time…"

"You're fucking insane," Flavio deadpanned.

"Do you have a better idea," Luciano screamed, whipping around with his eyes ablaze. "I'm fucking trying here, I don't need your ficking bullshit sass!"

Flavio, immediately defensive, started shouting back. "You're the one that brought us here in the first place!"

"What would you have done?!"

"Left! Gone home!" He waved his hands. "You fucking psycho! Who cares what's happening here? Just take Allen's pictures home and let the army deal with it!"

"You think they'll fucking care," Luciano snarled. "If you would sit in for one, ONE fucking meeting, maybe you'd realize that- that-"

"That what?"

"They fucking wanted this!"

Everyone stared in shock.

Luciano huffed, his breath ragged.

"What are you...what do you mean?"

He swallowed, taking in a deep and ragged breath, his hands shaking. "I called this mission because I trust all of you. Even if we don't get along, I trust you." He finally looked up and looked everyone in the eye. "My mission was to take out the guards here." He looked down. "There were two rebellions. One who was against this, and another that was for it. I came here trying… trying to find out who was who…"

"Luciano," Matt said, his voice steady. "Tell us exactly what is happening in this place."

"I don't know exact details. What I can tell you… is those prisoners are experiments."

"Experiments?" Lutz was even mortified. "Of what?"

"Mind control," he said, looking away again. "The people… aren't people anymore." He looked guilty. And sick. "I couldn't let this happen. I decided that I'd go against my government."

They all stared at him, a mixture of anger, confusion, and pity.

"I'm sorry." He put his head in his hands. "I underestimated all of this and put you all in danger."

Matt looked around. "Who are the ones we need to work with to bring this down?"

Luciano turned to him, shaking his head. "I don't know." He looked at the sign. "I don't know who is where anymore. Some guards were talking bad about their leader, they mentioned the children, someone by 'you-know-who', and…" He turned around eyes widening. "...A room."

They all stared at the devastation waiting for them.

"Luciano," Matt stood forward. "If we get out of this, I'm still with you."

The Italian went wide eyed.

Lutz came forward as well, hand on his shoulder. "You know I am."

Oliver and Allen smiled. "I need to get some revenge, honestly," Oliver chirped.

Allen gave a thumbs up.

Yang snorted. "I have no idea what's happening but I'm in."

Viktor shrugged.

They all turned back to look at Francois and Flavio.

"You fuckers always drag me into the worst places," Francois said gritting his teeth nervously and staring ahead.

Flavio stayed silent. "You lied to me…"

Luciano frowned, and said with sincerity, "I'm sorry, fratello." He looked over his shoulder as a barrel was blown over the platform and fell into the darkness. "I need you, though…"

Flavio sighed. "You know I'm a sucker." He walked up and hugged him.

They all got ready, the new information sinking in, but being brushed aside for possibly one of the most dangerous missions. They waited, and one at a time, they'd run, ducking for new cover. They'd climb. They dash and fall. All the while, avoiding the thunderous blasts coming from their left. The platform was a straight stretch. It wobbled and whined under the blasts, testing the support. It didn't help, having so many bodies racing on it.

They'd come across lines of blood, seemingly from someone trying to cross. Some ladders had questionable strings of...something...on them.

Luciano lead the way, finding his way through the obstacles, having Allen on his heels and Matt in the back to direct everyone else from behind. Yang was having a hell of a time comprehending what to do, so Viktor opted to carry him on his back. Luciano got to a cover that was made of stone, and it was large enough to hold the whole group. It was at the top of a ladder, and when he made a move to get forward, he also fell off of the side of the platform, which ended there. Allen grabbed him and yanked him back to the cover just as a pulse shattered through the open space. "What the fuck," Luciano shouted, scrambling to the edge again. There was a ladder to get down, but it was long and there was no cover at the bottom. He backed off again, letting the pulse come through before getting a better look again. At the bottom there was a large power switch. It stood strong against to shockwaves. Above was a rope that looked as if it'd broken after someone used it to try and get down. The blood below it proved that. He backed up again and turned to Allen, and almost fell back in surprise when Oliver was there as well.

"There's a switch down there," he seemed hopeful, but his smiled faded when he noticed Allen.

He was looking at the side of the wall.

" _This is where I stopped. The switch will save you all, but it's oh, so far. Humans fell to their demise. But what of a country?_ "

Viktor and Yang came next, leaning against the wall. "Why stop?"

They were all silently reading and rereading the sign. One by one, the group collected in, all crouched under the cover, reading the sign.

Someone knew. Someone knew what they were and that they would be here. The one who wrote this expected them, and shut the lift down.

It was either die here or sacrifice someone and hope they would be alive enough after falling to hit the switch.

Panic.

"What are we going to do?"

"We're fucked, we're fucked…"

"No, we'll figure this out, maybe we can slide down the ladder?"

Francois picked a stone up, held it in his hand and waited. After a wave blew by he tossed the rock underhand and watched it. It hit the ground, and only a moment later another wave.

He shook his head. "No time."

Luciano was trying to study the ladder and said in a grave tone, "They used people to test that theory…"

The ladder had blood all over it.

Flavio didn't waste time on crying. Lutz leaned against the wall, which was very slowly eroding, and wrapped an arm around the Italian.

Matt took a place furthest from the ledge next to Francois. Allen was sitting with Oliver, trying his best not to show how scared he was. Even Viktor's expression was tight and unsettled.

Every face had years wandering across them. THinking of their life, wondering if this was the end. They were countries, but a blast like this… would blow their bodies apart. Chances of surviving were slim. Maybe a new person would be born to represent their country.

Francois' gaze was distant. Not a trace of fear or sadness. Just blank.

He thought of his dog, at home, who would go without a master. How her fur felt against his callused hands. How she laid at his feet in his small, dark home in France as he would rest in his chair, smoking or reading the newspaper mindlessly. He never cared much for the news, but it kept his eyes busy as his thoughts would drift away.

He wanted his newspaper now.

The sounds around him fell deaf. The blasts so far away in his mind. He could hardly remember a time when he would pay attention to the chaos around him. Whether it be war or a fight, he always tuned it out.

Maybe that's what depression did.

He hardly dwelled on that. He knew he was depressed, but for so many years, it consumed him and he never felt here nor there about it. It thickened into a fog, a darkness, that expelled any stimulation.

Lazy, old man.

That's what they all say.

He scanned around him, seeing people he'd watched grow. When did Luciano and Flavio get this way? One so angry and the other so self absorbed. Lutz… he grew so fast that he hardly remembered him as a child. Allen and Matt… Even as grown adults, they were still boys to him.

He thought about how he should have spent more time with them. He wished he'd have been nicer, or at least actively payed attention to them.

He wondered if he was more self absorbed than Flavio.

Yang, who probably didn't remember him as a child, was in a daze of… opium? That was his guess. Viktor, so tall, so bold, always had a strange charm about him. He never beat around the bush.

Francois liked that.

He watched as a shock wave blew pieces of wood over the platform. The shards fell into the abyss below, disappearing.

He looked at Matt again. People always asked if they were related, noting how much they looked alike. Matt always brushed those comments aside. He wanted to be his own person.

As much as he respected that, Francois couldn't help but feel a sense of pride when people said that to him. Such a good, strong, and level headed boy… no, _man_ … How could they be related?

And then, there was his biggest regret. Oliver sat, wide eyed and looking around at the chaos that was surrounding him. Oliver, who, in times of great need would seek Francois. They'd been friends since the beginning. Arguing, fighting, laughing, and crying… Francois couldn't even tell him how much he cared and appreciated him. He was a coward, and the words never came.

So he was always silent.

Now, they were at the end of the line, and those words would be blown away by the incredible force behind them.

He pulled his pack of cigarettes out and opened the box.

Two left.

He pulled one out, lit it, and tucked the lighter in the box, safely, then returned it to his pocket. He took a long, much needed drag of nicotine and the world around him became alive again. He fell off balance and hit his knee off of the metal floor. He heard screams of confusion and fear.

Lutz was trying to coax Luciano to him, to just sit and wait it all out. The angry Italian tried to argue, but he was losing hope in what they could do. Luciano finally gave up and rested beside his closest friend. They sadly apologized to their third friend, Kuro, for the possibility of leaving him forever.

Lutz stared into the distance, fear striking him. He thought about his older brother. What would he do, he thought. Gilen didn't talk. It was hard enough to get along with people, but he would lose several close friends, including his younger brother. He held his Italian's a little tighter. This couldn't be the end. He had to do something. They had to do something.

Oliver and Allen sat together, talking about the old days. They laughed solemnly about how they'd fought.

Matt stubbornly avoided them, gritting his teeth. He wasn't giving up on anyone.

He knew what he had in mind. He wanted to make the jump. Oliver knew, too, because he was quick to take the Canadian's sleeve. He was begging him to sit back with them. To think first.

"The stone Franny threw," he said, almost begging. "It hit the ground before the next blast. If I can just-"

"We can't lose you," Allen said, his cool quickly vanishing.

There was an obvious decision weighing in the air. Sacrifice a beloved friend for the rest, or let them all die. The choice was obvious, but then came the harder decision.

Whom?

Which one of them would take the bullet? What if they missed the target? What if the falled impaired them too much, ultimately killing them in the end.

 _Pulse..._

Francois looked away, the noise slowly vanishing again into the background. Viktor held Yang tight, making sure his deliriousness didn't have him walking into the open. He caught a glance with the Frenchman. Francois wasn't sure if he'd ever seen fear in Viktor's eyes before.

But there he was. His heart beating steadily. He remembered wars that would leave him paralyzed. Where he lost out of fear or just not wanting to deal with it anymore. He remembered when he would give up because there was nothing to lose but his life. And every time he would surrender, and every time he stopped fighting, he survived. Sometimes, just barely. But here he was, on the front line again. His cigarette slowly burning to the filter. He counted the seconds between pulses. He considered his options.

He realized where he stood, and where everyone else was. No one was in his path. He took a steady breath.

 _Pulse...One...two...three...four….five….six….Pulse…_

He took the dead cigarette from his lips and tossed it aside and into the abyss. He stayed still for a moment. Listening, counting, thinking.

Oliver would take care of Papillon. He loved dogs.

His house could burn to the ground for all he cared. It wasn't very nice, anyhow.

They would move on. They would meet the new person to represent France, or it would just be overtaken. He was sure Oliver, Allen, or Matt would make a good decision.

He got set to run.

 _Pulse…_

He took a deep breath.

And ran.

The pulse hit just before he left cover, his hair flying back. He left the ground.

He thought of home.

 _One..._

He thought of those he loved.

 _Two..._

He thought of the small family he kept dear.

 _Three..._

Distant screams.

 _Four..._

The ground was coming quickly.

He landed on his feet, bones immediately shattering. He felt a white hot pain, something he'd forgotten could exist since the last war.

 _Five..._

The swelling of the shockwave was reeling, and he'd

He didn't know where it came from, and he didn't care, as the last of his adrenaline and strength brought him to his broken knees, he gripped the handle of the power switch and pulled with all of his might, a scream tearing through his lungs.

The swelling deflated. The lights that hung from above disappeared. The lights in the distance, where the shockwaves came from, also died.

He felt himself falling with the darkness, and he hit the ground, rolling on his back and staring at the pitch black above him.

"Six."

He saw a small, dim light and heard someone shouting his name. He heard frantic footsteps on the ladder.

Cold hands rested on his face, something warm and wet hit his cheek.

"Francois," Oliver sobbed quietly, begging. "Please, please…"

He was breathing shallowly, the pain making it almost impossible to concentrate. "Th...This… f…" He swallowed. "Hurts."

A sigh of relief. "He's alive," he called, not turning.

He felt a much larger presence to his left. "You fucking idiot," Matt snapped, not angry. His hands were shaking. "Are you trying to kill yourself?" He bowed his head, panting. "Fuck…"

Francois winced. "I… hah… I did it, didn't I?"

"Shut up, you prick," Allen, now, who was in tears.

"Big Brother France?" Flavio held onto his brother, both of them standing by in fear.

Lutz pushed through. "Don't crowd the man." He got behind him and crouched down. He ran a hand over his shoulder. "Humpty Dumpty, you had a bit of a fall." He smiled, but even in the darkness, they could feel the edge in his voice.

"Don't make… me laugh…"

Luciano waved his flashlight around. "There's a cart that way," he said, his hand shaking.

"Perfect," Lutz quickly got to his feet and went to grab it. It was large enough to hold someone and even had pillows and blankets packed in it. Lutz hesitated. "They did know…" He pulled the cart out as close to his broken friend as he could. "Matt, Allen, Viktor. I need all of you to help me lift him into this as carefully as possible."

Francois was shaking his head. "Too...too much trouble…"

"Shut it, Frenchie," Allen snapped. "We're getting you out of here."

Viktor passed Yang off to Flavio and got bside Lutz.

They all lifted him and a strangled cry echoed through the tunnel. They finally settled him in the cart, but he'd completely passed out by then. Allen pulled away, noticing blood all over his hands and started shaking. "He's really fucked."

Matt, who'd had the other leg, was bloody as well for the second time that day.

Lutz pulled the cart. "I'll clean him up and wrap him up when we get somewhere safe." He kicked the metal door at the end of the platform open. Inside was another lift, that had nowhere to go but up.

Luciano opened the doors and stopped, staring inside.

"You'll be rewarded," he said, stepping aside.

A large box of food was sitting inside of the lift.

Oliver sat for hours, just waiting. There were two rooms in the building they settled in. It was cleaner than the others, and there was a hole in the floor of the small room they parked Francois in. Even as Lutz's straightened his bones and wrapped his legs with the gauze they'd brought, he never woke.

Luciano, weary and stiff, suggested that everyone should take some time to rest, eat, and sleep as he figured out their next step.

They were being watched. By whom, they didn't know.

Oliver wasn't in the mood to eat. He just sat in a small, uncomfortable chair next to the cart and stared out the window on the opposite side of the room. It was pitch black outside.

Lutz walked in, holding a can of raviolis with a towel wrapped around it and a fork sticking from the top. He knelt in front of Oliver and held it out. "You need to eat. You're going wi whither away."

Oliver looked at the food with no enthusiasm, and said, "No, thank you."

Lutz's kind tone dropped hard. "No, you're going to take this and eat."

He suddenly looked at him wide eyed.

"We're all worried. We're all stressed. We're all tired." He pressed the can into his hands. "They're hot, so be careful.

Oliver stared into the can.

"If you don't, I'm giving you another black eye." His face was stone cold, but Oliver saw the sadness in his eyes.

He frowned, resting it in his lap. "Do you know what I did to deserve a black eye?"

Lutz frowned. "Oliver, just because we didn't work together, doesn't mean I don't care about you anymore."

That struck a chord. Oliver's attitude changed gravely. "I… I know that, Lutz. I…" He looked down. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so brash."

"I'm not mad," he said, his face softening. "I'm worried."

Oliver nodded, understanding. He, against himself, stabbed a ravioli and popped it in his mouth. The entire day of not eating rushed at him, and he felt his stomach kickstart.

When had he gotten so hungry?

Who cares. These raviolis are suddenly delicious.

Lutz smiled as Oliver started eating with a lot more gumption, not bothering to savor the taste. "Has Allen found something," he asked between bites.

He nodded. "We found a can of sliced peaches. He practically inhaled them."

Oliver smiled. "Good." He finished the can before he knew it, and his stomach was completely full. "Thank you, Lutz…"

He sat next to him in the floor. "You don't remember doing the same for me? After the war, when I was separated from my brother?"

Oliver thought a moment, then shook his head. "No, I don't recall."

"That was the day I started liking you. Not as a love interest, but as a person. You were exceedingly kind, and from then on.. I stayed around you more often."

Oliver was bewildered. Such a small, simple gesture… turned into so much history.

"Can I… I want to tell you something, but I hope not to offend you."

He tilted his head. "Yes?"

"I…" Lutz smiled. "I'm glad we didn't work out."

Oliver blinked, then looked down. "I am, too."

He sighed, relieved. "I loved spending time with you. I really miss it… but dating isn't a life I lead. Maybe one day, but for now…"

"You're a young stripper with other booty on the mind?"

Lutz laughed. Hard. He laughed and laughed until tears came out. "Oh, this. This is why I enjoy your company." He smiled up at him. "No offense, but you're an old man."

Oliver crinkled his nose at him.

"And you shouldn't be with a younger man," he made a suggestive gesture to the cart.

Oliver's face burned bright red.

Lutz stood up. "When he wakes up, let me know and I'll have some food made." He started out, and Oliver called out. Lutz turned around, raising a brow.

"What if… what if he doesn't-"

Without knowing the rest of the context, Lutz smiled. "He will."

And like that, Oliver was alone again. He looked down and saw his bag there, his tea stuff sitting out. Lutz must have brought it with him.

He started making himself a almost spilt the cup when he heard gurgled coughing next to him. He scrambled and set the tea aside and stood up to lean over the cart. "Franny?"

He cough and groaned. His eyes opened slightly, and when he focused on Oliver, his lips curled into the softest, sweetest smile Oliver had ever seen.

He knew Francois was an attractive man, he always was, but that face had him melting. "I-uh, a-are-" He cleared his throat, putting a hand to his mouth. "Are you hungry?"

He took a shallow breath and whispered, "Starving."

"I'll be right back, okay?"

Francois nodded and Oliver ran out of the room, catching Lutz just as he was about to sit down.

Francois stared at the ceiling. If he hadn't been in so much pain, he might have thought he was dead. He looked down and saw the blankets tucked around him, only letting his arms out. His legs were immobile, and he had a feeling his pelvis was broken as well. Everything hurt, but his stomach was whining for attention. They'd sat him up enough that he wouldn't have a problem eating and breathing came easy.

A while later, Oliver came back with another can, wrapped in a towel, and a spoon in the other hand. "Careful, love," He said, handing them to him. "It's quite hot."

Francois nodded, taking the can and spoon with a firm grip. He quietly started eating, and like the others, he barely noticed the flavor and was more focused on the consuming. "I always thought...Spaghettio's were gross." He shook his head, stuffing his mouth.

Oliver giggled. "Hunger does that."

"I haven't eaten for over a day, now," he admitted, still tearing through the can.

Oliver frowned. "Not last night?"

He shook his head. "I had coffee this morning. That's all."

They sat in silence, and Oliver continued preparing tea, now for two. When Francois finished, he handed him a steaming cup of tea, black and no sugar. He took a sip of his own, happy that little Mary hadn't prepared it.

Francois took it happily, and like the food, he didn't mind the lack of coffee. "Thank you, Oliver," Francois said with the cup to his lips.

"Of course," Oliver set his tea aside and crossed his arms over the side of the cart and rested his chin on them. "Are you alright?"

"Better," he said, resting the tea on his lap.

"Should I take that?"

He took one last sip and nodded, handing it to him and thanking him.

"No need to thank me, poppet."

Francois shrugged and leaned back again.

He turned back, smiling. "I'm really happy you're okay. Really, really happy." He smiled more, but his eyes were betraying him, and tears started spilling again.

Francois noticed and looked fearful. "Non, don't…"

"I'm sorry.." He wiped his face with his sleeve, the leaned forward, wrapping his arms around his old friend. "I was so afraid…"

Francois, like Matt, wasn't very huggy. Though, in this case, he made an exception, hugging Oliver back and resting a hand behind the other's head. Oliver squeezed tighter, not wanting to let go.

"You scared us, you old coot! Oh, if you weren't so beat up I would slap you!"

Francois chuckled. "Save it for later."

Oliver giggled through tears. "I can't be mad at you." He buried his face in his shoulder. "You saved us, you know? You're a hero, Franny."

Francois felt a sudden urge to push away. "I didn't- anyone would've done the same. I-"

"Don't act modest, old man." He kissed his cheek.

Francois felt a rush of warmth run through him.

Oliver sat back. "You should really rest," he patted his face. "It's going to be a rough few days…"

Francois smiled, looking pretty exhausted. "I'm far ahead of you, mon ami."

It didn't take very long for him to pass out. When he did, Oliver decided to finally leave his side.

The whole group was sitting around a fire that, without a doubt, Matt built.

The Canadian was lying on the floor on his side, back away from the fire and his front towards where Oliver was entering. He lazily looked up at him, raising a brow.

Oliver smiled in return. "He's asleep for now."

Matt smiled and closed his eyes again.

Yang was asleep against Viktor, who was silently watching the others converse.

"I'm not even kidding," Lutz was saying, looking around the group.

"No way," Flavio giggled.

Oliver sat next to Allen and Viktor. "What?"

"Lutz says he was in a porno," Matt muttered.

"They don't believe me," Lutz said, smiling at Oliver slyly.

"Oh," Oliver raised a brow. "How haven't they found that?"

Flavio just about screamed, but caught himself when Luciano shot him a very icy glare from his perch next to Allen. "I need proof," he said, keeping a careful eye on his younger brother. "Luciano, do you know about this?"

The other Italian's glare shot over at Lutz, and it molded into disgust. "Unfortunately, I do know about it. And with that, I'll never trust the bastard to show me another video."

Lutz stifled a laugh, and Flavio's jaw dropped. They all knew what mission he had in mind when they got back. Luciano groaned and turned away again.

"Luci, please, we all know you're acting."

"Excuse me?" Luciano turned around, ready to fight.

Flavio giggled. "Oh, come out with it already!"

"With...what?"

Flavio turned to Lutz. "Are you two a thing or what?"

Luciano was already protesting. "I've told you a thousand times, fratello!"

"I don't believe you."

"Do you believe me," Lutz asked.

He sat forward and smiled, hopeful.

Lutz shook his head. "Nein."

"What?!"

"I'm not the relationship type."

Flavio rolled his eyes. "I suppose Luci isn't either."

Luciano gave up and shook his head.

The other Italian saw that, and he was really talking with his hands now. "Oh, come on, Luciano! Besides we-all-know-who, who have you ever been interested in? Ever? You probably don't even know how to kiss anyone!"

Luciano glared at him. "First off," he snapped, "I'm too busy for that garbage. And secondly, I absolutely know how to kiss. So shut up." He turned around, trying to concentrate on the work he had splayed in front of him.

"As if," Flavio snickered. "I mean, kissing _is_ a practiced skill."

Luciano continued ignoring him.

"I think you're too afraid to like anyone, or at least show any affection." He leaned back, smiling coyly. He was a master instigator when it came to Luciano's temper. Any time now, Luciano would either have a tantrum, or stalk off into a corner and pout.

"Shut up."

Everyone else was quiet. Nervous. Almost curious. Mostly nervous.

"I tried, you know? I tried taking you out to meet someone, but you get so shy! It's cute, but less cute when you run off when my back is turned. Have you actually dated anyone? I'm not being mean," he continued rambling. "I just think you'd lighten up if you let off some of that steam." He giggled. "And even just kissing! What kind of Italian doesn't like kissing?"

Luciano stood straight up, looking over his shoulder at his brother. Flavio had the cockiest grin. The one he wore when he knew he'd won.

The younger brother walked around Viktor, then Oliver. He was, by the looks of it, leaving.

Then, he paused after passing Allen. He turned and faced Flavio, squinting at him. Besides that, his face was relaxed. A strange look. He knelt in front of Allen, tore his gaze from Flavio and rested his rose colored eyes on his. They were intense, and Allen froze a bit, terrified of what was coming next.

With no warning at all, Luciano grabbed the American's collar and dragged him forward, kissing him. Allen held his hands out, confused and wide eyed.

It didn't stop there. Luciano grabbed the hair on the back of his head holding him close. The kiss got heavy, and every jaw that wasn't moving to a kiss in the room was on the floor, besides Matt and Yang. Luciano pushed him to the floor with their lips still locked. No one had ever seen Luciano get so… Flavio. He was pressed against the other, one arm around Allen's neck and the other hand sliding up his body.

Allen, who was still a little shocked, had just surrendered to this one, and even let his hands fall on the other's hips.

Matt, not hearing any noises, sat up and turned around. He blinked and stared for a moment, then turned back over, wondering if Yang slipped him something.

Luciano finally pulled away, took a breath and then sat up, his face entirely neutral. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve and then, with the most triumphant smirk, looked up at FLavio.

Allen sat up slowly, eyes wide, looking dazed. "Whoa."

Flavio had no words. None. He was great at coming up with something to say at every turn, but Luciano left him entirely speechless.

"Can… Can we do that again?"

Luciano's scrunched his nose and looked back at him. "Shut up, peaches." He turned back to Flavio, making the sassiest expression that he could. "Anyhow," he purred. "I have work to do." He stood up and swaggered back to his spot, earning a very enthusiastic high five from Lutz.

When he sat down, everyone suddenly got the urge to sleep. Allen, though, had a feeling that he'd be staring at the ceiling for a while. Flavio, too.

Lutz leaned in and spoke softly to Luciano. "That whole room was a trap."

"I know."

"The cart was too convenient."

"And chances are," he pondered. "They cut the power. They forced us…"

"To get through for them," Lutz's voice was deep in his chest, almost a growl fit for a beast.

Luciano had things written out in front of him.

"We have two people to investigate." He tapped the paper. It was marked for the children and for the red haired woman.

Lutz nodded.

"But for now, our people need some fucking rest." He closed his eyes tightly.

Lutz went to pat his shoulder, but the sound of metal clanging together rang through the room. Luciano was on his feet.

"What was…?

"I set a booby trap with my knifes. They'll clang together if someone's coming."

Lutz stood up next to him. "Good thinking."

They moved from the group, both in unison. He took stances, ready to defend the group.

Matt was immediately at their side, a gun in his hands.

There was a soft knock. "We come in peace."

All of the tension fell. "Kuro?"

The Japanese man slowly showed himself. "Yes. And I have friends."

The little boy in the red shirt came out, hands raised. Behind them both, Gilen stepped out, and his face lit up when he saw Lutz.

The brothers immediately met in the middle for a big and weary hug.

"How'd you find us?"

Gilen gestured to the boy, who waved.

"We have a problem," Kuro said, stepping in and looking around.

They turned to him in attention.

He frowned, looking over his shoulder. "There are people hunting for you. For us. And they're getting close."

 _ **A/N: I would like to share some fun facts about this chapter!**_

 _ **The song that got me through this was "Frühling in Paris" by Rammstein. Seriously, look it up. It's a very good song.**_

 _ **Another one is, which I'm sure some know, is that the setting is very much inspired by the game "Inside" by Playdead. Do yourself a favor and play it if you haven't already.**_

 _ **This was genuinely a fun and very detail oriented chapter to write. It was, by far, my personal favorite.**_

 _ **I also had to add some comedy to wrap up the intensity.**_

 _ **The next chapter… hahahahahaha stay tuned.**_


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